Has Bruno proved there is still life left in the Number 10 role?

[Raees]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

After seeing how much we have improved by having a central creative force, does this mean there is still scope for a top quality number 10 to operate in central positions and be effective in the modern game or does it if anything further prove how tactically off the pace United are when compared to the top European sides of this era. Is Bruno only effective because we do not keep the ball that well in general and thus we give him a licence which would not be afforded to him at any other top club or have we paved the way forward for other sides to adopt a similar approach.

Will we see more number 10's in central areas... or still more De Bruynesque 10's which operate from wide positions?

Thoughts...

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Nice article mate, I can only share from a modern game perspective but there are still some very good number #10's lurking in the game, whether they are the traditional type that are fixed centrally is up for debate. Players like Müller, Maddison, Mkhitaryan are adding big value to their sides. Szoboszlai will probably evolve into one.

What we have in Bruno is a bit of a cheat, he offensively plays like a #10 but defensively he works like a #8 and even a #6 when he needs to. If he adds a bit more composure in possession he would be pretty much complete.

 

[Borys]

Interesting read for sure. My favourite bit:
" These players acted as the hook between defence and attack – once the ball found their feet, it was a trigger to others to make offensive runs for a swift counter attack or if that was not possible to get into a shape which enables the retention of possession. "

I don't think playing Bruno as #10 means we're "off the pace tactically", although the issue here is that it requires specific skills from players around him. First of all, if we play him as #10 with a striker ahead of him and two wide attacking players, it means we are "top heavy" and it requires two strong, VERY energetic midfielders behind Bruno to provide the platform. This is the reason we've been so successful with Fred and McTominay, players who individually are not that good but do the job that is required by using those tactics. But it somehow limits our options when targetting midfielders, as almost everybody plays with 3 man midfield these days. Following this logic, we should definitely take a look at teams that play similar formation (like Leicester - Tielemans would be a good shout) if we're looking for upgrade on McTominay for example. It would've worked perfectly if Pogba was more adaptable but that ship is gone.

There is still life in #10 role, but IMO the low-effort and faster-on-the-ball-than-without-it types of players (like Ozil) are definitely out of fashion.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

Just a throwaway comment:

Bruno certainly can't be seen as evidence of a Laudrup style No10/playmaker making a comeback.

Bruno constantly contributes directly for United (by providing assists or by scoring himself). If he hadn't done that to the same extent, he would have been regarded in a very different light.

Laudrup was a classic playmaker who didn't necessarily provide the final assist - or the goal. His direct goal contribution for Juve and Barca was way below what Bruno has done for United so far.

In short, they were very different players. To make an obvious point (to anyone who has seen Laudrup in his pomp), Laudrup was a much better footballer - in my opinion. His technique, vision, dribbling ability - forget about it, Bruno isn't anywhere near that. Which is no shame - because Laudrup was something else.

But Bruno scores goals and contributes to goals much more regularly. Which makes him far more effective for a team playing like we do.

Bruno is a risk taker - he goes for the killer move/killer pass naturally. Which doesn't pay off all the time - as you'd expect. But there's no way that a player like him would be tolerated - and regarded as an undoubted success - if he hadn't balanced it all out by scoring as much as he does.

Bruno's GPG ratio for United must be north of 50% without even checking. Laudrup's for Juve was around the 15% mark (higher for Barca, as you'd expect - given the infamous nature of the Serie A back then, but still nowhere near Bruno's numbers).

 

[Raees]

Just a throwaway comment:

Bruno certainly can't be seen as evidence of a Laudrup style No10/playmaker making a comeback.

Bruno constantly contributes directly for United (by providing assists or by scoring himself). If he hadn't done that to the same extent, he would have been regarded in a very different light.

Laudrup was a classic playmaker who didn't necessarily provide the final assist - or the goal. His direct goal contribution for Juve and Barca was way below what Bruno has done for United so far.

In short, they were very different players. To make an obvious point (to anyone who has seen Laudrup in his pomp), Laudrup was a much better footballer - in my opinion. His technique, vision, dribbling ability - forget about it, Bruno isn't anywhere near that. Which is no shame - because Laudrup was something else.

But Bruno scores goals and contributes to goals much more regularly. Which makes him far more effective for a team playing like we do.

Bruno is a risk taker - he goes for the killer move/killer pass naturally. Which doesn't pay off all the time - as you'd expect. But there's no way that a player like him would be tolerated - and regarded as an undoubted success - if he hadn't balanced it all out by scoring as much as he does.

Bruno's GPG ratio for United must be north of 50% without even checking. Laudrup's for Juve was around the 15% mark (higher for Barca, as you'd expect - given the infamous nature of the Serie A back then, but still nowhere near Bruno's numbers).

Completely agree and I do not think the article sets out to state Bruno is of the ilk of a Laudrup-like playmaker. In fact it states the opposite...

He does not have the classic characteristics of a traditional number 10 in terms of possessing an insatiable desire to control the game, an inch-perfect weight of pass, flawless decision-making and elite level footwork but he can 'run'. He is not a liability defensively and he takes risks, creating chances in a blink of an eye. He is proof perhaps that a more outcomes oriented and less artistic number 10, can still function in the modern game without necessarily needing to station himself deeper, out wide or further up front.

What it does argue however is unlike De Bruyne who frequently operates in a wider position before freeing himself up to roam, Bruno's starting point is central before going out to the wider areas which is much more akin to the movement of an old school 10 though as you rightly point out, he's much more focused on goal output rather than in any genuine desire to 'control' the game as a classic 10 is expected to do.

As @Borys was correct to mention, this type of 10 is more likely to curry favour in the modern game than an 'artistic' 10.

 

[Physiocrat]

It seems to me that Bruno at present at least is playing more like a second striker but who contributes a lot out of possession.

I agree the playmaking 10s (especially who don't score much) have been moved wide or on occasions played as false 9s but this is to be expected really because of they don't score enough so better leave those spaces open to those who can.

Also when we think of the classic 10s they actually scored quite a lot too , well the best did - Maradona, Platini and Zico. Riquelme at his best had a 1 in 2 goal record for Villarreal.

In Utd's case I think a DLP who can defend would do wonders for the overall side. We could control the game better as well as having Bruno to provide the spark further up

 

[He'sRaldo]

The thing Bruno is showing is the downside of funneling a team's creativity into one main source.

I'd also agree that Bruno is more of a 2nd striker.

 

[Kweku Amonoo]

Bruno isn’t a number 10. He’s a forward, a second striker, like Griezmann at Atletico. He’s recognized as a midfielder but he doesn’t play like one. He’s constantly making runs in behind and stays so high up the pitch, even when we’re being overrun in midfield.

With how much freedom we give him, his numbers will always be great but it is going to adversely affect our ability to control games because we always look a man light in midfield.

 

[Physiocrat]

Bruno isn’t a number 10. He’s a forward, a second striker, like Griezmann at Atletico. He’s recognized as a midfielder but he doesn’t play like one. He’s constantly making runs in behind and stays so high up the pitch, even when we’re being overrun in midfield.

With how much freedom we give him, his numbers will always be great but it is going to adversely affect our ability to control games because we always look a man light in midfield.

We need to play with a wide midfielder on one wing to balance this up. The wide mid can then shift inside and be overlapped by the full-back in possession. This allows Bruno to do what he wants without messing up the balance.